VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The acting director general of Hajj and Umrah at the Indonesian Religion Affairs Ministry has lobbied the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia to allow prospective Indonesian pilgrims to undertake Umrah soon.

"We hope that the Saudi Arabian government will immediately end the suspension of the implementation of Umrah for prospective Indonesian pilgrims, thus they can have the opportunity to go to the Holy Land," acting director general of Hajj and Umrah, Khoirizi, said in a written statement received here on Thursday.

There has been no recent regulation from Saudi Arabia on the implementation of Umrah for foreign countries, he said. Suspended countries have to undergo strict health protocols if they want to continue to dispatch prospective pilgrims, he added.

During a meeting with Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia, Esham Altsaqafi, Khorizi informed him that the handling of COVID-19 in Indonesia has continued to improve.

In addition, he said that prospective Indonesian pilgrims are prepared to follow the health protocols promulgated by the Saudi Arabian government to undertake Umrah.

"There are five countries which send the most Umrah pilgrims but have not been able to send them – comprising Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Turkey, and Egypt. We hope that Indonesian Umrah pilgrims will be prioritized to be dispatched soon," he remarked.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Altsaqafi emphasized that his government has never prohibited Indonesian Muslims from performing Umrah.

However, Umrah has been suspended in order to control the pandemic, he said.

Furthermore, the ambassador said he had apprised the Saudi Arabian government of the decline in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, which would be considered when the government decides on issuing Umrah permits.

Although Umrah has been allowed since Muharram 1443 Hijri for certain countries, only 1,000-1,500 pilgrims have participated in it, he informed.

"The low participation is due to the strict procedures in the Umrah implementation to curb pandemic transmission," he added.(Antaranews)

The state budget deficit, as of August 2021, had reached Rp383.2 trillion, or 2.32 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), according to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

The government has targeted state budget deficit at 5.7 percent in 2021.

"The state budget deficit as of August had reached Rp383.2 trillion as compared to the Rp503.8-trillion deficit last year. It still shows a deficit though having declined by 23.9 percent (yoy)," Indrawati noted here on Thursday.

The minister noted that the decline in deficit was indicative of a stronger fiscal consolidation and economic recovery.

"The fiscal policy is strengthened, and the economy has grown in a positive trend. We can say that the countercyclical fiscal policy is still used while at the same time there is an economic rebound, recovery, and slow consolidation," she noted.

The ministry recorded that as of August 2021, the state revenue had reached Rp1,177.6 trillion, or 67.5 percent of the target of Rp1,743.6 trillion set in the state budget.

The state revenue comprised Rp741.3 trillion of tax revenue, Rp158 trillion of customs revenue, and Rp277.7 trillion of non-tax revenue (PNBP).

The revenue had increased 13.9 percent (yoy) as compared to Rp1,034.3 trillion in 2020.

Meanwhile, state expenditure was recorded at Rp1,560.8 trillion, as of August, or 56.8 percent of the state budget target at Rp2,750 trillion and grew 1.5 percent as compared to Rp1,538.1 trillion during the corresponding period of 2020.

Budget financing had reached Rp528.9 trillion, or 52.6 percent of its target at Rp1,006.4 trillion, a contraction of 20.6 percent as compared to last year's budget financing realization at Rp666.3 trillion. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) virtually attended the Global COVID-19 Summit to discuss world leaders' commitment to expediting vaccination efforts worldwide, according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

During a virtual press conference broadcasted from the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel on Thursday morning, Minister Sadikin stated that President Jokowi had attended the Global COVID-19 Summit on Wednesday evening after accepting US President Joe Biden's personal invitation to attend the summit.

President Jokowi is among the only four world leaders to be personally invited by President Biden to attend the summit and provide suggestions on the COVID-19 pandemic handling strategy, according to Sadikin.

The minister noted that President Biden had laid emphasis on three key points for the COVID-19 handling strategy at the summit.

"The first point is to reiterate our commitment with world leaders to expedite vaccination rates worldwide," Sadikin revealed.

The minister noted that the World Health Organisation's current target was to achieve a 40-percent vaccination coverage for the global population in 2021 and 70-percent coverage in 2022.

The second point is the importance of quick decisions to save humanity from the disease, as currently, around 4.5 million people worldwide have succumbed to the virus, the minister noted.

"President Biden specifically emphasises the necessity to ensure the provision of oxygen, testing and tracing equipment, and medicines stocks in hospitals to treat patients infected by the virus," Minister Sadikin stated.

The minister explained that the third point pertained to ensuring global recovery from the pandemic and preparedness to face a future epidemic.

"We need to conceive a global health resilience architecture and plan a global healthcare financial system for a country needing financial assistance to address domestic health issues," the minister stated.

President Biden also highlighted the importance of a resilient healthcare system in developing and developed countries for a better future and ensuring preparedness to face a future epidemic, Sadikin affirmed. (Antaranews)

The Ministry of Law and Human Rights has said the Ministerial Regulation (Permenkumham) No. 34 of 2021 allowing foreign nationals to enter Indonesia has been through a number of evaluations.

"The regulation is not issued suddenly out of the way, but has undergone assessment from various parties including the COVID-19 Task Force," the ministry's head of public relations and general directorate of immigration, Arya Pradhana Anggakara, said here on Wednesday.

The Ministerial Regulation No. 34 of 2021 concerning the Visa Issuance and Residence Permits in the Period of Handling the Spread of COVID-19 and Recovering The National Economy was signed by the Minister of Law and Human Rights, Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly, he noted.

According to Anggakara, the issuance of the new ministerial regulation  which has replaced the previous one No. 27 of 2021) does not loosen the regulation on foreigners coming into the country.

The new regulation even has a new and strict requirement for foreigners who want to enter Indonesia, he pointed out.

"The regulation requires every foreigner who is entering Indonesia to show a vaccine certificate that proves they have obtained a full dose of the (COVID-19) vaccine," he said.

Every foreigner who wants to enter the country must submit a negative COVID-19 swab test result and have health insurance that will cover the treatment cost in case they fall sick, he added.

"So, in case they arrive in Indonesia and are exposed to COVID-19, they already have health insurance to pay for themselves in Indonesia," Anggakara said.

Furthermore, upon arrival in Indonesia, every foreigner must undergo quarantine and take a swab or Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test to ensure that they are completely healthy and safe from COVID-19, he added.

Based on the regulation, foreigners who can get permission to enter Indonesia include those holding a Work Permit, Diplomatic Stay Permit, Temporary Stay Permit, Permanent Stay Permit, business travel card holders, conveyance crew and their conveyances, and traditional border crossers. (Antaranews)